The Last Surf Check of 2022

It’s no secret to my teammates and the folks who know me that I love the Rockaways. I’ve lived a nomadic lifestyle for most of my life as a result of my dad’s job in the hotel industry and maybe my lineage descending from Romani people from Hungary. In my many moves, I’ve never lived as close to a coastline as I do now in Central Brooklyn. As a result, I’ve never been surfing. Surfing, like riding bikes, is an endless pursuit. Bikes already provide my pursuit but the longer I live close to the beach, the stronger the pull of the ocean.

On especially stressful days or when there’s a hurricane offshore, I’ll pull up the beach camera at 92nd and watch wetsuit clad surfers bob in the surf. I spend hours listening to surf rock and shoegaze. I love flipping through The Surfer’s Journal and watching Dane Reynolds destroy waves. Stephanie Gilmore is my muse and one of my favorite athletes. I long to be a part of the surfing world but dread being a kook. I’ve spent so much time and energy in my pursuit of growing out of the kook phase of riding bikes that I can’t bear to repeat that effort.

Though any near-term prospect of me starting to surf is nil, I still connect to the coast. Just being at the beach is a gift to my health. The endless horizon devoid of visual obstructions is a welcome reset from being surrounded by buildings. The air is clean. There are fewer cars. The pace of the Rockaways is a gear slower. The clock of Jacob Riis park stands a beautiful monument to the unending march of time and the erosion of the sea. The boardwalk reconstruction after Hurricane Sandy is quality urban planning. It’s the worst best kept secret in New York. You can get there via the A train. Come on, you live in a sprawling metropolis and you’re at the beach!

On the third Saturday of December, I went on my last ride down to the Rockaways for 2022. There are several ways to get to the Rockaways by bike. Racers familiar with the Floyd Bennett Field weeknight series might be familiar with the most hectic route that braves the traffic and potholes of Flatbush Avenue. I usually choose this route, as it’s the most direct.

Baker made the ride down to Crown Heights from Williamsburg and we bomb down Nostrand Ave to Flatbush in about ten minutes. I’ve been exclusively riding my Ritchey Swiss Cross outside since September. I keep 35mm Gravel King Semi Slick tubeless tires setup on my wheels for maximum comfort. The cracks and bumps of Nostrand, Flatbush Avenue, and hurricane weathered roads of the Rockaways are much less noticeable on a steel frame. While it’s certainly fine to ride a road bike on this route, riding to the Rockaways is much more enjoyable with an all-road setup. 

The author’s off-season, all-road setup.

Once past Floyd Bennett Field, the route crosses the Jamaica Bay channel via the Marine Parkway Bridge, dumping us right at Jacob Riis park. In general, rides to the Rockaways are most enjoyed as cafe rides – stopping is encouraged.

A quick surf check is always necessary.

We navigated a bit of sand in front of the lifeguard shack.

After a quick jaunt through the main strip of Rockaway Beach, we navigate Beach 108th Street to the protected bike lane on Shore Front Parkway. This stretch has recently been repaved and is a nice bit of infrastructure. The next stop is for coffee. In the winter, Local’s is the only option. During beach season, my favorite spot is Brother’s on the boardwalk at 105th. Having your morning coffee to the sounds of waves crashing is a rare delight.

After coffee, we dodge cracks and holes on Beach Channel Drive back to B 94th and the Cross Bay Boulevard. Once through Howard Beach, we duck back onto the separated bike path along Shore Parkway. An all-road bike makes the bike path more pleasant as it’s fairly cracked up but also opens up a visit to the Shirley Chisholm Skybowl. The serenity of Shirley Chisholm makes the ride even more worthwhile.

Not a bad back drop.

Birds and planes circle Shirley Chisholm. It might be a landfill, but it’s a really peaceful landfill.

After a few short gravel climbs, Baker and I finish the loop around Jamaica Bay and head back towards Central Brooklyn via Flatbush. Traffic is light and after drafting some kombis, we turn right onto Rogers Avenue. Rogers can be hectic but takes us back up to Crown Heights, completing our ride.

Waiting for lights to be green or the coast to be clear.

The ride to and from the beach can certainly be completed other ways. We know this route is not the safest, although it is the fastest. Comfort riding in traffic and clear expectations are prerequisites.

Bedford Avenue is a much quieter alternative, but introduces many more stop signs and intersections. Let us know how you like to ride to the beach!